Grandmother's Stew

Posted on November 7th 2018

That Grandmother's beef stew, I go for it every time the weather cools down, or my heart is tight with saudades*… that warm, soft piece of meat in my mouth warms both body and soul in equal measures. This is a rather personal recipe, the preparation of it is in its entirety a journey to my childhood, a movie-like play of my grandmothers’ life teachings peppered by the smell of sautéed onions and those garden tomatoes…that I forgot for just one minute too long in the pan. Yep, now my hears are warm as well!!

Ingredients

Pre-cut stewing beef, or better, a piece of fatty meat chunked into pieces

Butter, one spoon

Onions, 2, cut into small pieces,

Olive oil

Tomatoes, 2, medium-sized and well ripped, cut into small pieces

Carrots, again, cut into small pieces

Peas

Garlic

Bay leaves, 2

Grounded cumin, 1 teaspoon

Lime, 1, only the juice

Coriander, finely chopped

Your favorite red wine, 2 glasses for the meat…one for you

Preparation

Pre-heat the butter. Brown the meat for a minute or two on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan and set it aside.
Add olive oil and turn down the heat. Add grounded cumin and let it fry very shortly. Sautée the onions. Add the tomatoes and let it cook on low heat till it becomes a sauce.
Add the bay leaves, the garlic, the carrots and the peas, and the meat.
Drown them in the wine and turn the heat as low as possible.
Forget about it for an hour.
Go enjoy the rest of your red wine.
Once the meat is tender turn the fire off. Sprinkle it with some lime juice and chopped coriander. Serve it with some dry white rice.
I like the rice cooked with a cinnamon stick and clove.
My grandmother would give me the side eye….

Love,

Ana

*saudade
"the love that remains" after someone is gone. Saudade is the recollection of feelings, experiences, places, or events that once brought excitement, pleasure, well-being, which now triggers the senses and makes one live again.